§ 154.04. Landscape material standards.

The following shall be considered minimum standards for all landscape materials:

(A)

Plant Materials. Plant material used in conformance with the provisions of this chapter shall conform to the most recent standards for Florida No. 1 or better as given in "Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants", State of Florida, Department of Agriculture, or equal thereto. Trees and plants used in a required landscape design shall be cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, or appropriate for the environmental setting in which they are to be planted. The "Waterwise South Florida Landscapes" plant guide, published by the South Florida Water Management District, as amended, should be used to determine appropriate vegetation. Plant materials which are known to be intolerant of paving environments or temperature below 32° F or 0° C, or whose physical characteristics may be injurious to the public or which produce a quantity and/or quality of debris so as to present maintenance difficulties shall not be specified for use under this chapter.

(B)

Florida Friendly or Xeriscape plant materials. Florida Friendly or Xeriscape landscaping means a type of quality landscaping that conserves water and protects the environment by using site appropriate plants, an efficient watering system, proper planning and design, soil analysis, practical use of turf, the use of mulches, and proper maintenance. The intent is to establish and maintain a healthy landscape by matching the right plants with existing site conditions to minimize the use of additional resources, such as water, fertilizer, and pesticides. A Florida Friendly or Xeriscape plan may be approved by the site plan review committee when the applicant can assure the health and survivability of all landscaping plant materials. Plant materials shall be approved native and suitable non-native trees, shrubs, and ground covers that require minimal maintenance when planted under appropriate conditions. Appendix D: City of Port St. Lucie Suggested Tree List and the South Florida Water Management District "Waterwise South Florida Landscapes" plant guide shall be used as a guide for choosing plant materials.

(C)

Trees.

1.

Trees shall be a species having an average mature spread of crown greater than 20 feet. Trees shall have a trunk that is maintained in a clean condition with over five feet of clear wood (no branches).

2.

Tree species shall be a minimum of twelve (12) feet overall height when planted with a minimum five (5) foot crown spread. At planting, the trees shall have a caliper of at least 2.5 inches. Palm trees shall have a minimum clear trunk height of ten (10) feet except for Canary Island Date Palm, Edible Date Palm, and Bismark Palm. Canary Island Date Palm, Edible Date Palm, and Bismark Palm shall have a minimum clear trunk height of six (6) feet. For the requirements of Section 154.03(C)(2) "Landscaping around Building Façade", the minimum height may be reduced to eight (8) feet. Required trees may be selected from Appendix C: City of Port St. Lucie Suggested Tree List located at the end of this chapter and/or the "Waterwise South Florida Landscapes" plant guide, published by the South Florida Water Management District provided the trees are of the appropriate USDA plant hardiness zone and ecological setting. Additional tree species may be considered based upon certification from a Florida registered landscape architect as to appropriate USDA plant hardiness zone and ecological setting. Smaller trees having an average mature spread of crown less than 20 feet may be arranged in groupings or clumps of two (2) or more so as to create the equivalent of a 20-foot crown spread; however, the grouping or groupings shall count as one (1) tree. Substitutions do not apply to certain portions of this chapter which identify specific planting requirements. The requirement for smaller trees to be planted in clumps of two or more so as to create the equivalent of a 20-foot crown spread does not apply to building façade landscaping or landscaping below overhead power lines.

3.

No species designated as Category 1 on the Exotic Plant Pest Council's most recent list of "Florida's Most Invasive Species," shall be used to meet the requirements of this section.

4.

No more than twenty-five (25) percent of required trees shall be palm trees. The building façade landscape strip is exempt from this requirement.

5.

At least fifty (50) percent of all required trees shall be native species.

6.

At least twenty (20) percent of the required trees shall be flowering trees.

7.

At least seventy-five (75) percent of the trees located within landscape islands shall be evergreen shade trees.

8.

When more than ten (10) trees are required to be planted to meet the requirements of this Code, a mix of species shall be provided. The minimum number of species to be planted is indicated in the following table. When a mix of species is required, no single species shall exceed a 2 to 1 ratio relative to all other individual species.

Required Tree Species Mix
Number of Trees Required	Minimum Number of Species
11—20	2
21—30	3
31—40	4
41+	5

 

9.

Trees of species whose roots are known to cause damage to public roadways, utilities, sidewalks, or other public works shall not be planted closer than 10 feet to those public works.

10.

In those instances where a tree(s) is planted closer than five (5) feet from a sidewalk, or structure, a root barrier(s) shall be installed. Root barriers for trees shall be installed along the edge of structure, paving, or curb. The root barrier shall be a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches deep, but depending on the size, location, and species of tree to be planted, a larger barrier may be required. The root barrier shall be installed with twenty (20) linear feet, centered from the trunk, for large trees and fifteen (15) linear feet for smaller trees. All root barriers shall be linear.

(D)

Shrubs and Hedges. Shrubs shall be a minimum of two feet in height when measured immediately after planting. When used for screening purposes they shall be spaced a maximum of twenty-four inches on center and shall be maintained so as to form a continuous, unbroken, solid screen within a maximum of one year after time of planting. If wider growing plants are used, spacing may be increased, but should provide a full appearance with adjacent plants touching each other. Required shrubs shall be selected from the "Waterwise South Florida Landscapes" plant guide, published by the South Florida Water Management District. Additional species may be considered based upon certification from a Florida registered landscape architect as to appropriate USDA plant hardiness zone and ecological setting. Saw Palmetto can have a minimum size of 12 inches and be spaced a maximum of thirty-six inches on center. At least twenty-five (25) percent of all shrubs shall be native species.

(E)

Ground Cover. Ground covers, other than grass, shall be planted in such a manner as to present a finished appearance and a reasonably complete coverage within four months after planting. Ten (10) percent of the groundcover shall be flowering groundcover. Groundcover shall be selected from the "Waterwise South Florida Landscapes" plant guide, published by the South Florida Water Management District. Additional species may be considered based upon certification from a Florida registered landscape architect as to appropriate USDA plant hardiness zone and ecological setting.

(F)

Lawn Grass. Grass areas shall be planted in species normally grown as permanent lawns in the county. Limit the use of sod to a maximum of 50 percent of site landscaping.

(G)

Vines. Vines shall be a minimum of 30 inches in height immediately after planting and may be used in conjunction with fences, screens, or walls to meet physical barrier requirements as specified.

(H)

Synthetic Plants. Synthetic or artificial material in the form of trees, shrubs, ground cover, vines, or artificial turf shall not be used in lieu of plant requirements in this section.

(Ord. No. 15-70, § 1, 9-14-15)